Joy Thieves, Part 3: Anger

"My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,  for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."
                         - James 1:19-20

"I can't fake it - I have to be true to myself and let these feelings out! What this person has done is so horrible, so bad, so hurtful, that there is no way anyone could expect me to act like nothing happened because that would be a lie!"

Have you ever felt that way? I have a feeling that you have. In fact, I firmly believe that all of us have felt this way at one point or more in our life.

Whether it's caused by someone unleashing their anger on you or by someone's actions igniting anger in yourself, there is something in our human spirit that impulsively rises up to defend oneself or lash out to hurt the person that has hurt us. The problem with anger is actually in that impulsiveness.

Impulsive behaviors of any sort are never good because they happen like faulty sticks of dynamite, BOOM! Out of nowhere, quick, unstable, unpredictable, they go off without notice or warning - Impulsive words and emotional outbursts are said without reason, thought, planning, judgement, or self-control.

Notice the importance of the words slow and quick in James 1:19-20 - we are to be slow with our words and with our anger, but quick to be silent and to listen. WOW! God is commanding us to go against our nature! Hold on, does this mean God is asking us to fake it? To hold our true feelings in?

YES.  Because these impulsive words and actions, our anger, destroy us.  Our anger lies to us, and is a reflection of our sinful, selfish old flesh that doesn't look like Jesus at all. Even when we truly are being mistreated, that doesn't change the fact that the source of our desire to retaliate is motivated by self. When Jesus was being beaten, bruised, mocked, and spit at, he practiced this ability to be silent: He said not a thing.

There is only one reason Jesus held back any anger or defense: He loved them that beat him, and He loves us.  Now, Jesus calls us to do the same, 

"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.…"
                             - Matthew 5:43-45

When we are mistreated, when we have been done wrong and believe we may have a right to be angry or justified in spitting out hateful, vengeful words at those who have mistreated us or made us feel angry, Jesus tells us in His own words to love them, to pray for them... and it is implied that THIS is an important key to being His children.  WOW!

The power of the Gospel is that there are no victims - only quiet conquerors. By holding our tongue in the face of hurtful words, evil actions, betrayal, and anger, we allow the Jesus in us to triumph. For the moment it may feel as though we are frustrated, powerless, and down-trodden, but in the long term we are vindicated, defended by grace, and rewarded with peace, joy, strength, and wisdom.